The City

I was very excited when I heard about Stella Gemmell’s The City, so my expectations were undoubtedly high. I have read David Gemmell and have enjoyed each of his words and sentences, and I was aware that Stella Gemmell had finished his Troy series. Now, as the sole author of The City, Stella Gemmell faced the greatest challenge: she has a well-known name and could prove that she was up to the challenge of writing on her own. I must say that she has succeeded completely.

When I started this book, I feared that it would be one of those titles where the author’s surname is used to gain undeserved attention. This is not the case for The City; it is a wonderful story of an immense variety of characters who offer us a view of what their show more city is like. Characters have their own motivations and conflicts, and yet they fit within a whole. Gemmell has created a world where no character is more important for the rest of the story, and where the magic of the novel is not in one storyline or another, but in the whole. The City is truly epic.

Full Review (Jetpack Dragons): http://www.jetpackdragons.com/2014/04/epic-redefined-in-stella-gemmells-the-city... show less

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Look at that description. Look at it. I should have loved this book.

I really should have. I should ahve adored it. I should be singing its praises right now, finding a way to force you to read it. I should be telling you this is the best new fantasy to be out on the market.

But I can't.

I don't know what it is. I am unable to tell you, which is strange. I can normally at least give you an idea of what stopped me from finishing. Terrible writing, or super-offensive (to me) ideas, or, or or .. The City didn't have those. Or at least it didn't by page 104, which is where I stopped.

Perhaps books this long and dense aren't best read on ereaders. Perhaps it wasn't the book for me. All I know is I found show more it confusing and I couldn't keep up with it. I abanonded it at page 104 when I became aware I had no idea who these characters were or what was going on.

It's a shame, because the writing is good, if slightly bland. The world is intriguing. But I just couldn't finish it. I'm not angry (except at myself.) I'm sad. I should have loved this book.

DNF, with regrets.

Provided through Netgalley by the publisher. show less

Loved this very engrossing tale, cared about the characters, but am left a bit dissatisfied at the end. Too many open-ended storylines. Possibly there is a sequel coming?

Putting it aside at just over a hundred pages in. Just not for me. I don't care about any of the characters (not even the old betrayed general, who would usually be an instant win for me) and as at that hundred pages, I hadn't found a thread of plot that lured me onwards. (In fact, I'd be hard pressed to tell you what the plot might be, because even the outline of the blurb had only manifested subtly up to that point.) I didn't like the sewers (there was little wonder to be explored here) and I didn't like the extended battles (I never do). I found the writing style distancing (see under not connecting with any of the characters) and needlessly detailed (when the details weren't adding much for me).

Finished 21%. Snoooooooze.

cool

My full review can be found here:

http://wildersbookreview.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/the-city-by-stella-gemmell.html